1970 Mustang Boss 302 - Original Owner Boss 302

Rare Finds

“Steve St. Hilaire, my boyfriend of many years here in Florida, was talking to someone that we’ve known over the years about a carburetor for my ’66 Chevy pickup,” Janet Moore said.

Luckily, the friend, Dave, had the carburetor and said Janet could have it. As an offering, they brought along a 12-pack of beer. In the garage, Janet noticed two covered vehicles and a Ford Lightning pickup. As a car enthusiast, she couldn’t help but ask what was under the two covers.

Immediately, Janet asked if the cars were for sale. The answer was an emphatic no. Dave said he bought the Boss 302 brand-new and the fastback came from his best friend in New Jersey.

Janet didn’t want to be rude or pushy, but she had to take a closer look. She grew up in rural New Hampshire and started driving when she was seven years old. She got her driver’s license at 16 and recalls the summer of 1971 and a friend’s ’69 Mustang GT with a 428 big-block.

“I drove him around on weekends,” Janet explained. “I was like his chauffeur. He liked to drink and I liked to drive, so we were a great pair.”

The two Mustangs in Dave’s garage were both covered and sitting in the middle of cement bags, lumber, and shingles. Janet wiggled her way through the clutter and lifted up the cover for a peek at the Boss 302. “I could see it looked pretty nice. It had some rust, of course, because it was originally a New Jersey car.”

Janet kept asking questions. She learned that the Boss had been sitting since the early 1980s in Florida. Dave said he planned to let the car sit and rust until he died and then his relatives could fight over it.

Janet says, “I just started in on him, like, I can’t believe it’s gonna sit there and rust.”

She continued talking with Dave, teasing him about how sad it was to leave the car sitting there. Finally, she asked what it would take to “get it out of here?”

After a long pause, Dave leaned back in his chair and said “Three.”

Janet says she “almost fell over” because the price seemed so cheap for an original owner Boss 302 with original paint and 50,982 miles on the odometer.

The body had surface rust. The rocker panels were solid but the bottoms of the doors were oxidized. Janet would later discover that the floor pans needed replacement and the Boss 302 engine had been replaced with a 289. The interior was dirty and dusty. Option-wise, the car had the desirable Shaker hood scoop, rear window slats, and rear spoiler. The wheels weren’t stock but were good for transport. Janet got the original hubcaps with trim rings.

Luckily, Janet may be able to retrieve the original engine—or at least the original block. Dave’s friend in New Jersey is rounding up the parts.

“Dave had owned the car for 11 months when he blew the original Boss 302 motor,” Janet said. Apparently, Ford replaced the 302 with a service engine. When Dave moved to Florida, vital Boss 302 parts stayed behind in New Jersey. Janet is not sure what parts she will be able to retrieve, but she’s hoping for a matching number block.

After negotiations, Janet bought the car for $3,500, an extremely low price but the car does need a Boss 302 engine and quite a bit of restoration work. She plans to save the original paint, repair the rust, and install certain needed items, such as carpet.

One last interesting tidbit of information is the word “Boss” spelled out in seam sealer on the inside of the trunk. Apparently, a Ford employee did this “trunk art” on the assembly line.

Note: Dave’s name and location remain secret due to inquiries to buy the ’67 fastback, which is not for sale.